Chapter 21: The Pride of the Long Family
Jiang Chen had not anticipated that a few careless sentences
from him would have such a sobering effect. The spirited conversations that had
been taking place in twos and threes suddenly all quieted down.
Countless pairs of eyes looked towards Jiang Chen in
synchronized movement.
Those present were all heavyweights in the Eastern Kingdom,
and all of them knew that the duke of Soaring Dragon had always wanted the
piece of land with the spirit vein running through it. He had been scheming and
plotting to seize it from the duke of Jiang Han.
Judging from his posture, was Jiang Chen planning on
declaring war? Was he going to engage in a public dispute with the duke of
Soaring Dragon?
Jiang Chen, the subject of their speculation, was completely
insensitive to it all. He pulled a chair towards himself, and sat down with an
air of generosity, sneaking a glance at Eastern Zhiruo’s body. He muttered,
“Looks like you’ve been busy these past couple of days. At this rate, you’ll
have no issues getting past sixteen.”
Clink, kalunk…
At least three or four people fumbled their wine glasses
after hearing these words. They were so shocked by Jiang Chen that even their
wine glasses fell to the ground.
The minority that had not known Jiang Chen already could not
contain themselves and started surreptitiously quizzing their neighbors. Which
family did this young duke hail from? This was simply too brave.
This was the king’s most beloved daughter, after all.
And beside the princess sat elder Princess Gouyu, one whose
face was already starting to sink down in disapproval.
Seeing that Princess Gouyu’s face had sunken low enough to
draw water, those who wanted to watch the show did not dare to brazenly cast
their gazes over here.
Everyone knew that Princess Gouyu was the martial dao genius
of the Eastern Kingdom. She was an exceedingly influential person in the
Eastern Kingdom who held true power.
And not to mention, just by her status as the main organizer
of the Hidden Dragon Trials, which duke at the banquet would dare to insult
her?
Yet Jiang Chen seemed to be completely oblivious and had no
idea that he was sitting in the most prominent area, and gave no indication
that he realized he had become the center of attention.
Jiang Chen had basically observed everyone with side vision
after he sat down. What surprised him was that there were a few familiar faces.
The third hallmaster of the Hall of Healing for instance;
the duke of Tianshui who had slapped himself for another.
It was apparent that the duke of Tianshui was behaving
today. He kept to himself. If he had been as before, he would have surely led
the offense to make life difficult for the Jiang family.
However, whether it was the duke of Tianshui or his heir,
they were both oddly quiet today.
The duke of Tianshui was obviously still haunted by what had
happened at the Jiang Han manor. Although he did not take any action himself,
it still gladdened his heart to see others picking on the Jiang family.
These fellows did not know anything of the agreement between
Jiang Chen and Eastern Lu, and thus did not have any reservations in bullying
the Jiang father son duo.
Indeed, a few duchy heirs walked over in tandem just as
Jiang Chen wanted to ask Eastern Zhiruo how she had been lately.
The leader of the band was the heir to the White Tiger
dukedom, Bai Zhanyun.
“Jiang Chen, do you know what day it is?” Bai Zhanyun’s face
was a study in indignation. “Today is miss Long Juxue’s sixteenth birthday. How
dare you say it’s a filthy place! I command you to apologize!”
“And I, Hong Tiantong, order you to apologize to the host
and other guests in the name of the Vermillion Bird dukedom!” Hong Tiantong had
departed from his usual modus of inciting others to pick the fight, and
actually took the initiative today.
It was apparent that Hong Tiantong had no desire to let Bai
Zhanyun claim all the glory for fawning on Long Juxue in a setting like this.
These two came from an impressive background.
The strength of the 108 dukes in the Eastern Kingdom varied
accordingly, but the top four dukes had always been firmly ranked in the top
four. No matter what changed in the kingdom, their position had never changed.
Soaring Dragon duchy ranked first, White Tiger second,
Vermillion Bird third, and Black Tortoise fourth!
Two heirs of the four major dukedoms had stepped forward,
and had brought some of the heirs of other high ranking dukedoms with them.
They encircled Jiang Chen with an aggressive air.
Jiang Chen kept his cool and flicked a noncommittal glance
at Hong Tiantong. He then asked lightly, “Are you commanding me?”
“You can take it that way.” Hong Tiantong responded
arrogantly.
“Oh... “ Jiang Chen smacked his forehead lightly, smiling
without seeming to at princess Gouyu. “Princess Gouyu, is this fellow part of
the royal family? Or have I remembered incorrectly? Do dukes have the power to
command each other? I seem to remember that only the royal family has the power
to issue commands to dukes!”
He looked at Hong Tiantong lazily, laughing, “The heir to
Vermillion Bird is it? When did you change your surname to Eastern? Why didn’t
you make a big proclamation out of such a big event? You should’ve notified us
earlier so we could be mentally prepared!”
Hong Tiantong, who had occupied the aggressive high ground a
moment ago, was suddenly at a loss for words by this simple question. He became
as transfixed as a statue.
“As for you, Bai Zhanyun is it? If I remember correctly,
this is the third time that you’ve provoked me. I didn’t want to lower myself
to your level before, but today, what do you mean by standing here and
hollering your head off if you claim that this isn’t a filthy place? Are you
blind? Do you not see Her Highness sitting there? Do you know anything about
noble etiquette? Yelling and jumping up and down in front of the princess, do
you have any notion of decorum?”
“And the others, what do you want? Accompanying these two
idiots in making a spectacle of yourself, are you trying to tell everyone
present that there is no longer a need to conceal your mutinous hearts?”
Jiang Chen’s torrent of words caused the crowd of youths to
be tongue-tied, red in the face, and minds to go completely blank. They wanted
to find the words to retort, but had absolutely no idea what to say.
Bai Zhanyun was trembling in his rage, “You… Jiang Chen…
your mother… you’re spitting blood from your mouth!(1)”
“Does your mother not spit blood from her mouth? If your
mother didn’t spit blood, where did you crawl out of? Or are you some runt that
your father picked up from the streets?” When it came down to verbal sparring,
Jiang Chen had had a career in cursing others for millions of years in his past
life. His spiteful tongue had once cursed everything under the heavens.
These jokers were absolutely no match.
But Eastern Zhiruo did not understand the last part of his
words. She tugged on his sleeve with a face full of naive innocence. “Brother
Jiang Chen, what does his mother spitting blood have to do with him being
picked up from the streets?”
“Eh....” It was Jiang Chen’s turn to be halted in his tracks
as he stammered, “This question isn’t suitable for children. You’ll understand
when you go and get married.”
Princess Gouyu on the sidelines was also perplexed. She
thought that Jiang Chen was cursing a bit randomly and had no idea what he
meant. But after his explanation, she suddenly thought of the scenes of
childbirth…
Was that not literally spitting blood?
Gouyu’s gaze sharpened with killing intent as her thoughts
wandered down this path. This damnable Jiang Chen! He was sure to pollute
Ruo’er if she spent more time with him!
She decided to vent her rage on Bai Zhanyun and Hong
Tiantong. Those two were still dumbly standing there like blockheads. She
slammed her hand down on the table, “You two, what do you have to say for
yourself? Do you still retain any of your noble decency?”
The atmosphere abruptly worsened as Princess Gouyu lost her
temper.
This was no ordinary individual. Many times, Princess
Gouyu’s attitude had represented the king’s attitude!
The representative hearty laugh of the duke of Soaring
Dragon traveled in from the main hall at this awkward moment. “Ladies and
gentlemen, please calm down. It’s a rare occasion that we have so many present,
and it happens to be my youngest daughter’s sixteenth birthday. I’ve invited
everyone here to, one, celebrate my daughter’s birthday and, two, share the
news of a great event of joyous tidings with everyone.”
“Oh? Your Grace, what happy event is this? You have kept a
tight seal on the news.”
“Yes, Your Grace, out with it! We can’t wait.”
“Haha, let’s not be in such a rush everyone. It appears that
I’ve hidden the news too well. I shall do that no longer. To be honest, this
matter is also an issue of great joy for the Eastern Kingdom, and is a momentous
occasion for the kingdom. My daughter Juxue, due to her Azure Phoenix
Constitution from birth, has attracted the attention of a hidden master and
been picked as his direct disciple. The master will personally come to welcome
my daughter to the Purple Sun Sect after the Hidden Dragon Trials!”
“What! Purple Sun Sect? That’s the head sect of the four
great sects of the sixteen countries!”
“All hidden masters are the equivalent of a prominent
heavyweight within a sect. Who would’ve thought that Long Juxue would have such
good fortune. Congratulations indeed!”
“An azure phoenix constitution even sounds extraordinary!”
“This kind of joyous occasion should be celebrated through
all the lands! Felicitations to Your Grace, the future of Soaring Dragon duchy
is indeed one of unlimited wealth and endless potential!”
“Congratulations!”
In that moment, all sorts of greasy remarks poured in like
the unending river waters.
Long Zhaofeng was in fine fettle. He had long since planned
for today. He was completely unsurprised by the situation.
“To be honest, the heavyweight of the Purple Sun Sect had
decided upon this master and disciple relationship the moment my daughter was
born. But, I'm a low-key person and thought of Juxue’s growth and childhood. I
didn’t want to overly draw attention to her. But now that my daughter is
sixteen years old, this news naturally doesn’t need to be concealed anymore.”
Long Zhaofeng’s words were the epitome of pride.
In actuality, how could this be called low-key. If this was
called low-key, then nothing under the heavens could be labeled high profile.
And, it was not that Long Zhaofeng had avoided speaking the
truth, it was that he did not dare speak of it.
When Long Juxue had been born, a strange phenomenon struck
the sky. A great rainbow appeared in the vast sky, with vague impressions of
the legendary phoenix dancing in its rays. All the birds on earth paid their
respects and lingered long thereafter.
It was true that an elder in the Purple Sun Sect had heard
of this phenomenon and surmised that the Soaring Dragon dukedom in the Eastern
Kingdom had given birth to an Azure Phoenix Constitution. He had not set foot
outside sect territory in several hundred years, yet he rushed to the Soaring
Dragon dukedom at first light and established the master disciple relationship.
Except, absolute perfection didn’t exist in the world. What
it meant to have an Azure Phoenix Constitution was that an evil humour of
extreme yin existed within the body. If this evil humour was not resolved, then
that person would not live past 30 years old, and any and all talk of genius
potential would be as tangible as the clouds.
Long Zhaofeng had been wracking his brains and trying all
possible methods over the past couple of days and had finally dispelled the
evil humour within Long Juxue. This way, there was no longer any restrictions
on the Azure Phoenix Constitution.
At the same time, the Purple Sun Sect elder had sent word
that Long Juxue would be officially initiated into the Purple Sun Sect after
half a year.
Long Zhaofeng’s first thought after receiving such
confirmation was to proclaim it far and wide!
There was no way that Long Zhaofeng would pass up such a
prime opportunity to flaunt his family. To that regard, almost all the dukes of
importance, ministers, and royal officials, had received an invitation from the
Long household.
Even the high and mighty Princess Gouyu had been no
exception.
At that moment, Long Juxue was standing next to her father
like a proud phoenix. She sparkled such that no one dared look at her directly.
Modesty and pride suffused her eyes.
Even to a hidden power like the Purple Sun Sect, an Azure
Phoenix Constitution was still an exceedingly rare talent. She had sufficient
reason to be proud.
Bai Zhanyun and Hong Tiantong’s gazes on Long Juxue were
full of desire and adoration.
Jiang Chen finally understood what the duke of Soaring
Dragon had meant by an event of joyous tidings in his invitation.
“Azure Phoenix Constitution?” Jiang Chen searched his
memories, remembering that all sorts of body constitutions existed in the
common world of martial dao.
But on the path of martial dao, no matter how great the
potential, the practitioner would still not make it far if an appropriate
disposition did not go hand in hand with the potential. There were many
examples of that, too.
But at the end of the day, even something like the Azure
Phoenix Constitution did not amount to much in Jiang Chen’s eyes.
His past self had seen too many top talents. How many of
those had actually successfully developed and matured?
1. Chinese saying that this is a malicious attack,
slander/slur
Chapter 22: You Think You’re Awesome? Destroyed with One
Poke
The atmosphere at the banquet was quite fervorous. Even
Princess Gouyu wore an extremely solemn expression on her face. Although she
seemed indifferent on the surface, she was still quite shocked at heart.
After all, it was not a good thing for the royal family if
the duke of Soaring Dragon became increasingly powerful.
Especially this Long Juxue. If she truly entered the Purple
Sun Sect, then her future development would be unlimited. Although Princess
Gouyu had been hailed as a martial dao genius in the kingdom, she had never
attracted the attention of any of the hidden sects and secluded masters.
Jiang Chen was exceedingly observant, and with just a
careless glance, he had deduced most of Princess Gouyu’s internal struggles.
“Heh heh, she’s just a person with a bit more talent, that’s
all. The path of martial dao is like scaling an abyss. Those with better
potential just happen to climb a bit faster than others. If the slightest
mistake is made and a hand slips, they too fall and land in pieces. All is
still in vain if one has talent alone and not the right disposition.”
His voice was not loud. It seemed like he was both murmuring
to himself, and explaining something to Eastern Zhiruo.
But a listener who listened with their hearts would
understand this sentiment. A strange light shot out from Princess Gouyu’s eyes
when she heard those words. Her gaze raked across Jiang Chen’s face, and she
suddenly thought that this venom-tongued youth was not so distasteful after
all.
“No, how could I just forgive this kid just like that?”
Princess Gouyu immediately suppressed that little bit of goodwill.
Jiang Chen stretched lazily and pouted, “So, the boasts have
been boasted and the awesomeness has been demonstrated, this should be enough
right? When will the food be served? I’m so damn hungry that my chest is
touching my back!”
He had not suppressed his voice when saying these words.
They sounded like the disgruntled rumblings of a young fop.
But, when voiced at such an occasion, they were quite
irritating.
Long Zhaofeng had originally wanted to wax eloquent, but
felt hard pressed to proceed, when he was interrupted by an ear piercing and
unexpected voice.
But, what could he do? He couldn’t very well haul Jiang Chen
out for a beating.
This Jiang Chen had never known how to pick the right
timing. For someone who had even dared to fart at the Heavenly Rites of
Worship, proclaiming those few idiotic statements seemed to be in line with his
style.
The duke of Soaring Dragon was a bit relieved when he
thought of this. “This kid was born with brain damage. It’s actually a good
thing, since the duke of Jiang Han will find it even more difficult to build
upon his foundations with such a useless son. It should be easier to convince
him to surrender the land with the spirit vein later.”
Zhao Longfeng’s internal discontent was swept away after a
round of self comfort. He laughed, “Yes, yes. My apologies for keeping everyone
waiting, let’s start the banquet! Everyone be at ease. Please, eat. Drink!”
However, Long Juxue’s gaze raked Jiang Chen. A hidden trace
of a conspiratorial smile appeared on that beautiful profile when she thought
of the events that had transpired in the Hall of Healing.
“Hold! The house is rarely so full, particularly with the attendance
of the main organizers of the Hidden Dragon Trials. There are so many dukedom
heirs present today, why not join in the fun? Let us have everyone display what
they have learned thus far in life as entertainment for the banquet!”
It was apparent from Long Juxue’s tone that she had already
assumed the identity of a direct disciple of the Purple Sun Sect, and had
already put herself on equal footing with the main organizers of the Hidden
Dragon Trials.
“What a wonderful suggestion!”
“Haha, very good. If we exhibit our talent in front of the
future direct disciple of the Purple Sun Sect, perhaps miss Juxue will write an
introduction for us to the Sect if she so fancies.”
“That makes a lot of sense! Haha, it looks like we must
fully display our talents in front of miss Juxue today.”
“It would justify the efforts of a lifetime if we were
graced with a smile from a beautiful woman.”
Armed with the memories of his past life, Jiang Chen had a
keen intuition. When he felt Long Juxue’s gaze pass over his face, he knew that
the woman was targeting him.
Princess Gouyu was just as sensitive as Jiang Chen. Although
she was unaware of why Jiang Chen and Long Juxue were at odds with each other,
with her wit and astuteness, how could she not figure out the situation? Long
Juxue had not really bothered to conceal her intentions.
She kicked Jiang Chen underneath the table, muttering under
her breath, “Brat, be careful! Long Juxue is setting you up.”
Jiang Chen was a bit taken aback. Since when did Princess
Gouyu concern herself with his affairs? Did she not yearn to give him a
thorough beating?
He popped a fruit into his mouth uncaringly, laughing
indifferently. “Why aim for me? How could good-for-nothings like me, who
wouldn’t even hurt a fly, threaten someone born with a superior constitution?”
Gouyu felt extremely frazzled upon seeing Jiang Chen’s
laziness. You’ll know Long Juxue’s power when she makes a fool out of you
later.
Indeed, Long Juxue chuckled and spoke to Bai Zhanyun’s
table, “Family friends Brother Bai and Brother Hong seemed to have conflicted
earlier with the heir to Jiang Han, Brother Jiang. Why not take advantage of
this opportunity to learn something about each other? Us practitioners of
martial dao obliterate enmities with a smile. All relationships are built upon
our fists. Wouldn’t everyone agree?”
Bai Zhanyun was overjoyed by these words and immediately
jumped up. “Yes, Miss Juxue makes the most ample amount of sense. You only form
true friendship after a fight. Jiang Chen, what do you say to gaining a better
understanding of each other today?”
“Brother Bai, I of the Hong family would also like to get to
know Jiang Chen. Why don’t I go first?”
“You two elder brothers, you’re the heirs to the four great
dukedoms; you wouldn’t take our duties away from us would you? I, Yan Yiming,
have long been fascinated by brother Jiang Chen.”
These fellows were giddy with silliness when they heard Long
Juxue say that all friendships were formed on a foundation of sparring. They
finally had a perfectly justifiable excuse to beat Jiang Chen and severely
humiliate him. This was a chance that would not come around again.
At this moment, the other prominent dukes had received their
cues from the duke of Soaring Dragon and joined in the jeering.
“Yes yes, the time will pass for us old fogies one day and
it will be the younger generation’s turn to take their places. What a rare
opportunity for our heirs to learn from each other and strengthen their
friendships! This also enhances the atmosphere of martial dao in the Eastern
Kingdom. What a great, great thing!”
“Indeed, indeed. The young are the future hope of the
kingdom. If they are strong, then the kingdom is strong!”
Around ten dukes had joined the crowd in the span of a
moment. They all expressed affirmative opinions, with even more hangers on
fawning in agreement.
Yan Yiming was extraordinarily proud and cupped his hands in
a phony gesture. “Jiang Chen, we had a misunderstanding before. Why not spar a
bit and get to know each other. Perhaps we can even become good friends after a
fight?”
He had finally brought his provocation straight to Jiang
Chen’s face.
Jiang Chen sighed in resignation and threw down the nuts he
held in his hand. He responded in a carefree manner, “Yan Yiming is it? If I
were you, I wouldn’t stick my neck out like this. With your position and
potential, you are not meant to be the star of tonight. Why bother paving the
road for others? If you misstep, you subject yourself to embarrassment.”
“Embarrassment?” Yan Yiming laughed cockily. “Jiang Chen,
speak frankly if you’re scared. If you’re willing to bow your head in apology
and beg on the ground for forgiveness, I’ll consider forgiving you.”
“Apology?” Jiang Chen stood up lazily. “I, Jiang Chen, don’t
even know how to write the word ‘apology’. But you will soon find out how wrong
you were. What did you just say? Go for a round of sparring? Then let’s do it.”
Jiang Chen picked a random spot in the empty area next to
the main hall.
“Heh heh, keep pretending Jiang Chen! A weakling of three
meridians true qi who dares put himself forward, I’m impressed by your
courage.” Yan Yiming grinned sardonically and stepped forward. His six
meridians true qi surged as he built up an impressive aura, attempting to crush
his opponent through aura alone.
“Stop blustering! If you want to attack then do so, I want
to eat after the fight. Do you think it’s been easy staying hungry for so
long?” Jiang Chen paid no heed to Yan Yiming’s posturing.
“Jiang Chen, you pretend to have an ace up your sleeve when
you only have a mere three meridians true qi. You’re asking for death. Eat my
fist!”
Since it was a friendly spar and Princess Gouyu was present,
Yan Yiming did not call upon his family’s traditional martial arts, but rather
deployed the Amethyst Cloud Palm technique of the Eastern Amethyst Qi method.
Six meridians true qi was the highest plane of existence
within the intermediate realm. When he activated his six meridians true qi in
combination with a magnificent wave of his palm, his aura was thus that it even
stirred stirred up loose dust and small rocks.
Yan Yiming leapt upwards, his body light as a feather.
Purple light emanated between the movement of his palms and multiple
afterimages of his palms appeared. They were like blossoming plum flowers, fluttering
to the ground in grand celebration. The sight overwhelmed the onlookers.
“The shadows of the palm fills the sky as birds fly through
long grass. The plum flowers fall in flight. Who would’ve thought that Yan
Yiming would’ve practiced the Amethyst Cloud Palm to the peak of perfection!
How incredibly rare.”
“The heir of Yanmen lives up to his reputation. No wonder he
is listed within the ranks of the top ten!”
Plaudits sounded from all over in that moment. Even Bai
Zhanyun and Hong Tiantong looked at Yan Yiming with a serious gaze, deep in
thought.
The level of their training was mostly likely all on par
with each other, simply judging from this display of the Amethyst Cloud Palm.
This Yan Yimin was actually something!
“Huh. How dare that Jiang Chen step up just with a mere
three meridians true qi.” Bai Zhanyun burned with a need to immediately see
Jiang Chen beaten until he spat up blood.
Surrounded by palm shadows that filled the air, Jiang Chen
was like a lonely canoe drifting on the current. There did not seem to be a way
in which he would be able to avoid being swallowed by the palm shadows.
The smile of a victor’s became increasingly concentrated on
Yan Yiming’s face.
And at this moment, Jiang Chen made his move.
To put it simply, Jiang Chen simply stepped forward lightly.
Princess Gouyu had been observing the fight with solemn eyes, and this one step
caused a strange look to flash through her eyes.
Because, Jiang Chen had stepped out with unerring accuracy
and landed in the singular spot in which Yan Yiming’s aura was the weakest, the
area in which his attacks were most hard pressed to cover.
This was the tiniest opening, and yet it was as if Jiang
Chen had foreseen it and took that marvelous step when Yan Yiming came hurtling
towards him.
At the same time, Jiang Chen’s arm raised slightly, and a
finger pointed with the movement of his hand.
An ear piercing sound cut through the air like a meteor
racing across the heavens.
People did not know from where it came, and where it was
traveling to.
An agonizing yell sounded out in the next moment, and the
numerous palm shadows suddenly dispersed like damaged branches and wilted
leaves. Yan Yiming’s dashing and light body suddenly rushed towards the ground
in a severe fall, like dead weight.
A solid thwack!
It was such a hard fall that even the ground vibrated
subtlely!
This impact caused even bystanders to feel an itch in their
bones. The subject of their stares had most likely fallen even harder.
The other protagonist, Jiang Chen, lightly dusted off his
hands and sighed. “For someone who looked down upon us three meridians true qi,
I actually thought you were something. But who knew that you would be destroyed
by a single poke! Bah, so bad. Disappointing, quite disappointing.”
Silence. A desolate silence reigned.
At this moment, being quiet was far better than making a
sound!
Chapter 23: Princess Gouyu’s Recommendation
Yes, a strange stillness had fallen over the proceedings in
the blink of an eye.
There were plenty of strong practitioners present. Amongst
the dukes, who was not a heavyweight? But now, even they were not sure of what
they had seen in that split second.
It was Yan Yiming who had held the upper hand, and he was a
finishing move away from beating Jiang Chen into the ground. Jiang Chen had
only moved twice in all of this.
He had taken one step forward, and had raised his arm once
to stab his finger forward.
It was two simple motions, but it was as if lightning had
struck Yan Yiming, and he had fallen like dead weight.
It was an exceedingly comical scene. If it was not for the
fact that they had been rattling their sabers and bawling into each other’s
faces earlier, those assembled would have almost suspected Yan Yiming of
playacting with Jiang Chen. Was he pretending to be a great antagonist to
further heighten Jiang Chen’s awesomeness?
But it did not seem like this.
Yan Yiming obviously wanted to make Jiang Chen look like a
fool, but he had somehow ended up making himself the fool.
In that moment, different thoughts ran through the minds of
all the guests at the banquet.
Those who were friendly with the duke of Jiang Han were
naturally happy for him. They had indeed been worried for the son of their old
friend earlier, and they would have never dreamed of such a result.
Those who were on less than friendly terms with the duke of
Jiang Han, or friendly with the duke of Soaring Dragon were extremely baffled.
Some began to suspect that the heir to Jiang Han was a wolf in sheep’s
clothing. Had he always been pretending to be a ne’er-do-well?
But the majority were neutral, and they held the attitude of
waiting to watch a good show. Of course, they were also incredibly mystified by
the strange scene that had developed in front of them.
These neutral parties were the most at ease. As people just
watching the show, they were naturally unafraid of things getting out of hand.
Princess Gouyu was the most surprised.
When Yan Yiming had started to execute the hit that was at
the peak of perfection, she almost wanted to speak up and stop the sparring.
She did not have the chance to do so before the situation
took a 180 degree turn!
At this moment, Princess Gouyu did not give a damn whether
Yan Yiming had been actually beaten to death, and had completely forgotten the
Amethyst Cloud Palm at the peak of perfection.
There was only one picture in her mind, and that was Jiang
Chen’s unfathomable, untraceable point.
Princess Gouyu was quite familiar with the origins of the
Eastern King Point. It was another martial arts technique found within the
Eastern Amethyst Qi method.
However, Princess Gouyu was unable to fully comprehend the
mysteries contained within Jiang Chen’s poke. The point had contained endless
enigmas, and it condensed the intricacies of life’s riddles and essence of
martial dao on a singular, concentrated point.
What silly meridians true qi and superiority of different
realms.
None of that mattered at this moment.
To Gouyu, that poke had spoken of the true meaning of
martial dao.
It gave her an incomprehensible feeling. How could this
point have been so otherworldly?
“This brat, was it all happenstance?” Gouyu suddenly
realized that she did not understand Jiang Chen as well as she thought she did.
She did not think that a coincidental poke could have such
remarkable power.
But, if it wasn’t a coincidence, could a dandy, who had not
even passed the foundational exams, be able to deploy such an amazing point?
Someone finally broke the frozen atmosphere.
Bai Zhanyun leapt up, “Jiang Chen, did you cheat just now?
Yan Yiming is a lofty six meridians true qi and you a mere three meridians. How
could you defeat him with one move?”
Jiang Chen’s tone was extremely innocent. “You should ask
these sorts of idiotic questions to him. He was beaten by a lowly three
meridians true qi, I don’t even know how to comfort him.”
“Huh. You must have cheated. I, Bai Zhanyun, will play with
you.”
Bai Zhanyun, the heir to White Tiger, eight meridians true
qi, the advanced realm of true qi!
This was a genius character that completely outclassed Yan
Yiming.
Jiang Chen did not even blink and was about to speak when
Princess Gouyu stood up. “Hold! The heirs who are participating in the Hidden
Dragon Trials are free to spar here, but it is a loss to the Trials no matter
who is injured. Since you desire to vie for rankings of strength, I have a
suggestion to make in my capacity as the main organizer of the Hidden Dragon
Trials. This way, we can determine the talent within your meridians without wounding
each other.”
“Oh? What grand strategy does Princess Gouyu have?”
“Princess Gouyu is the main organizer of the Hidden Dragon
Trials and she expends so much effort and will on it. The princess has our
admiration and respect.”
Sycophantic comments poured in like the tide in the blink of
an eye. After all, no matter how important the duke of Soaring Dragon was, he
was still a duke. Princess Gouyu was the representative of the royal family.
In the current situation, the number of people willing to
fawn on the royal family far outnumbered those dancing attendance on the
Soaring Dragon dukedom.
Princess Gouyu said lightly. “The royal family had
originally intended to advocate the practice of martial dao in holding the
Hidden Dragon Trials. The heirs present here have all practiced the founding
method of the Eastern Kingdom - Eastern Amethyst Qi. I propose to have each
heir present take their turn on stage in demonstrating the accompanying
techniques of the Amethyst Cloud Palm and Eastern King Point. As the main
organizer of the Hidden Dragon Trials, I can also double as a judge to
determine whose comprehension of martial dao is the greatest, and whose realm
of training is the highest.”
“Haha, princess Gouyu is truly worthy of the title of royal
princess. Such a recommendation is inordinately good. No blood will be shed,
and we will be able to determine who is superior.”
“Mm. This suggestion is indeed good. This old duke supports
it.”
It was impossible for these dukes to publicly oppose this
suggestion now that princess Gouyu has voiced it. Disagreeing with princess
Gouyu meant disagreeing with the royal family.
They would then most likely die a humiliating death in the
Hidden Dragon Trials.
Jiang Chen shrugged his shoulders, directing his words at
Bai Zhanyun. “Looks like you’re much luckier than Yan Yiming.”
Bai Zhanyun’s face darkened, “What do you mean?”
“How can I not call you an idiot? Do I have to spell
everything out for you? You don’t understand? Ponder on it if you don’t
understand.”
Jiang Chen could not be bothered with Bai Zhanyun after
those words and walked back to his seat.
Eastern Zhiruo giggled. “Brother Jiang Chen, you looked so
good just now.”
“Is that so? I think so too, haha.” Jiang Chen was in a
great mood as he flicked a meaningful side glance to Gouyu.
Princess Gouyu snorted. “I merely didn’t wish to see anyone
hurt before the Trials, and I wasn’t protecting you. Don’t think too much of
it.”
“I think you’re thinking too much.” Jiang Chen laughed.
“Can’t you see that I’m really annoyed at you? This Bai Zhanyun has ticked me
off several times, and I finally had the chance to beat him up. Was your
proposal meant to protect him?”
Gouyu was completely speechless. This... this BRAT is
ridiculous. Does he not know that being part of the advanced realm of true qi,
Bai Zhanyun could beat someone in the initial realm into a meal pie with one
punch?
She cursed inwardly, “This princess was obviously protecting
you from being beaten to death by one fist from Bai Zhanyun. You damned
ungrateful brat!”
With Princess Gouyu’s proposition and the supportive efforts
of those in power, it looked like the start of the banquet would be delayed yet
again.
All the respective heirs of their dukedoms were high
spirited and they were itching for action on the demonstration stage in the
Soaring Dragon manor. They all wanted to use such a gathering to make a name
for themselves.
Princess Gouyu’s voice sounded and it was as clear and cold
as jade. “Everyone, many heirs of their respective dukedoms have been gathered
here today. As the main organizer of the Hidden Dragon Trials, I would like to
take advantage of this opportunity to review their progress in practicing the
Eastern Amethyst Qi. Do not feel the need to hold back and display your full
potential, understanding and talents!”
To be honest, all the heirs were chomping at the bit even
without princess Gouyu’s encouragement. Who would want to miss the opportunity
to leave a good impression on the main organizer of the Trials, and demonstrate
their talents as well?
All martial dao methods were divided into the achievement
levels of “minor achievement’, ‘skillful’, ‘perfection’, ‘flawless’ and ‘great
perfection”.
Under the personal observation of Princess Gouyu, several
heirs quickly presented themselves for a demonstration. Some chose the Amethyst
Cloud Palm, and others chose the the Eastern King Point.
One had to say, no mediocrity existed amongst the heirs to
the 108 dukedoms.
Those who dared step onto the stage all possessed decent
potential and were quite confident in the level that they had trained to.
Jiang Chen squinted his eyes as he sat below the stage,
there was an absent-minded look on his face. He would occasionally nibble at
some nuts, or make fun of Eastern Zhiruo every now and then.
A trace of an amused smile clung to his face as he sometimes
flicked a glance at the busy hustle on the stage. It was obvious that he did
not think much of the demonstrations by the heirs.
However, a fellow then stepped onto the stage that perked
Jiang Chen’s interest.
This youth was well built and took solid steps. He was the
heir to the Hubing dukedom, Hubing Yue, and one of the few best friends that
Jiang Chen had in the capital.
Jiang Chen was inwardly resigned as he watched Hubing Yue
walk onto the stage. With his temperament and characteristics, neither the
ethereal Amethyst Cloud Palm nor the unpredictability of the Eastern King Point
were suited for him.
Therefore, Jiang Chen was a bit surprised that Hubing Yue
had put himself forward.
But, what surprised those below the stage was that the heir
to the unassuming Hubing dukedom, ranked middle out of the 108 dukedoms,
possessed a strong martial dao foundation. Seven meridians true qi roared like
dragons within his meridians. He was in the advanced realm of true qi with
seven meridians true qi!
This astonished even Jiang Chen.
One had to know, even Yan Yiming, the heir to a top ten
dukedom, possessed merely six meridians true qi.
But the Hubing dukedom was ranked towards the bottom of the
108 dukedoms. Was its heir going to vault to new heights through the Hidden
Dragon Trials?
Seven meridians true qi were indeed extraordinary. They were
great dragons accompanied by the sound of thunder when deployed.
However, the Amethyst Cloud Palm seemed to lack a bit of
true meaning, a bit of elegance, when demonstrated by Hubing Yue.
“Hahaha, Hubing Yue, is that the Amethyst Cloud Palm? This
is chopping wood!”
“Amethyst Cloud Palm is elegance personified. This Hubing
Yue looks like a farmer plowing his fields when he demonstrates it. I can watch
no longer.”
Some audience members mocked him immediately. Although their
words were jeering, they were not without some truth.
This also fit in with Jiang Chen’s earlier conclusion. The
Amethyst Cloud Palm was not a good match for Hubing Yue’s style.
However, it was not as if there was nothing that could be
gleaned from Hubing Yue’s version of the Amethyst Cloud Palm. At least his
foundations were solid, and it was much more practical than some of the other
flowery versions that were demonstrated earlier.
Princess Gouyu recognized his steadiness and stability, and
pronounced a judgement of “peak of skillful”.
The identity of the heirs who followed him were even more
outstanding.
Chapter 24: Jiang Chen Shocks All Those Present
The heir of Tianshui dukedom, Shui Qingshu, demonstrated the
Eastern King Point. Fluttering and ethereal, it was a bizarre flow. It appeared
that he had actually trained it to a pretty good level.
Princess Gouyu inclined her head slightly upon seeing this,
and rated it at “Peak Perfection”.
The heir of Black Tortoise, Yi Taichu, exhibited a flowery
version of the Amethyst Cloud Palm. It was extremely elegant, like mercury
spilt on the ground. This cooled the ardor of several youths who had been
chomping at the bit to hop onto the stage and have a go.
They felt the distance yawning between them and Yi Taichu in
comparison.
As for Princess Gouyu, she also looked on in admiration and
gave a rating of “Initial Flawless”.
This was also the first heir of the day who had received a
“Flawless” realm evaluation.
One had to know that it was incredibly uncommon to practice
a martial dao method to even “Peak Perfection”.
Achieving the flawless realm basically meant that there were
no vulnerabilities or flaws. The practitioner had reached a level in which not
even a drop of water would find an opening.
The next level was the “Great Perfection” realm.
Only a true genius was able to train a martial dao method to
the level of “Great Perfection”. This meant that, at least for this particular
martial technique, this particular practitioner’s understanding and talent were
at the apex.
Bai Zhanyun, the heir to White Tiger, became a bit fidgety
when Yi Taichu received such a high commendation.
“I shall demonstrate a set of Eastern King Point.”
Bai Zhanyun was practically on the same level as Yan Yiming
when it came to the Amethyst Cloud Palm. He was also at “Peak Perfection”, and
had not yet reached the “Flawless” realm.
But he had steeped himself in the practice of Eastern King
Point for many years, and had naturally formed his own interpretation.
Although Bai Zhanyun might be arrogant, there was a certain
flow in the way he deployed the Eastern King Point. It was as if swallows hid
amongst the clouds, or birds speeding towards the woods. An unexpected twist
would always take place whenever it came to a bend in the road. It illustrated
the saying of “Where hills bend, streams wind and the pathway seems to end,
past dark willows and flowers in bloom lies another village.”.
Under Bai Zhanyun’s guidance, “unique” and “change” could be
the additional adjectives used in describing his set of Eastern King Point.
Although he had yet to reach the perfection realm, his innovation and expansion
of the method was already worthy of a judgement of “Flawless Realm”.
Indeed, after Princess Gouyu’s contemplation, she gave a
“Peak Flawless” commendation.
Bai Zhanyun was incredibly proud that he had received “Peak
Flawless”, firmly outclassing Yi Tai Chu. His chest puffed out quite a bit, and
a few more traces of fervor were apparent in his sneaky side glances to Long
Juxue.
Bai Zhanyun stood on top of the stage in high spirits, as if
he were the champion of the boxing ring. He surveyed the four corners proudly,
“Who else wishes to come up and give a demonstration?”
Hong Tiantong felt that his level of Amethyst Cloud Palm
was, at most, on par with Yi Taichu, roughly at the “Initial Flawless” level.
He gave up decisively after some thought.
Bai Zhanyun became even more insufferably arrogant and
laughed loudly upon seeing Hong Tiantong concede. His gaze settled on Jiang
Chen’s face.
“Jiang Chen, if I remember correctly, you said I was very
lucky just now. Surely you’ve practiced these two martial arts techniques to an
impressive level?”
Bai Zhanyun was exceedingly self satisfied. He had long
since taken a dislike to Jiang Chen. It would feel damn good to severely
humiliate him, particularly on such an occasion.
Plus, Bai Zhanyun vaguely knew that the duke of Soaring
Dragon coveted the Jiang Han plot of land with the spirit vein. Therefore,
maybe he would be able to curry extra favor with Miss Juxue if he suppressed
Jiang Chen at this gathering?
Bai Zhanyun’s call out made Jiang Chen the center of
attention again.
Jiang Chen had bafflingly won over Yan Yiming earlier. The
process had been supremely fast and many had not been able to see what had
happened. They all thought it was a coincidence.
Jiang Chen counted; this was the fourth time that Bai
Zhanyun had provoked him. He spat out a piece of chicken bone in his mouth back
onto the table, sighing in resignation, “Why do so many lack brains in this
world? You, Bai Zhanyun, have had your limelight, and your performance ranks
first in this stage. Why must you seek to slap yourself in this face?”
“Slap myself?” Bai Zhanyun gave voice to unbridled laughter.
“Jiang Chen, if you can slap my face, then I, Bai Zhanyun, will stand here and
let you.”
Jiang Chen stood up slowly and said no more. He cast a look
at Princess Gouyu, and walked onto the stage with a hint of a faint smile.
“Bai Zhanyun, you must be proud to have received a “Peak
Flawless” commendation and to have beaten down the pack of contenders. Wouldn’t
it be the icing on the cake if you found an unlucky fellow able to stomp on
while you’re at the prime of your life? Isn’t that so? In this case, a
so-called beauty would definitely look at you with different eyes, right? I
have to say, you’re so naive, and an utter failure.”
“Naive? Failure?” Bai Zhanyun snorted lightly. “You’re an
inferior good-for-nothing, a worthless loser who wouldn’t even pass the three
foundational exams. What gives you the right to call me a failure?”
“It’s not that I’m calling you a failure, it’s that you
really are one. You view the beauty as a heavenly phoenix, but she views you as
a random dog on the street. You’ve repeatedly pretended that you’re all that in
front of me, but don’t even know the reason for proclaiming that you’re so
awesome. How can you say that you’re not a failure if you don’t even understand
the reason for why you live, and waste your years in an attempt to realize an
unrealistic dream?
Your set of Eastern King Point has won a standing ovation,
and a commendation of “Peak Flawless”, but do you really think that your
practice of Eastern King Point is truly flawless and invincible?
Since you’re so hopped up on your own triumph, and think
that your Eastern King Point is so infallible, I shall give you a chance. Use
the Eastern King Point on me with all your might, and I’ll let you understand
what it means to be truly invulnerable!”
Jiang Chen’s eloquence knew no bounds. It was like the
unceasing spring thunder, as it built up to a posture of dark clouds descending
on a city in the blink of an eye.
A subconscious shift occurred in those present as the
bystanders were slightly moved after Jiang Chen’s words.
“Jiang Chen? Are you challenging me? Are you sure you wish
to use an egg to attack a rock?” Bai Zhanyun was completely unaffected and his
face grimaced in a laugh, displaying a wild, ferocious smile.
“Cut the chatter and display your vaunted Eastern King
Point. Let me see just how much an heir of the four great dukes is worth!”
In the eyes of the audience, one was a publicly recognized
dandy in the initial realm of true qi with three meridians true qi.
The other was an heir to one of the four great dukes,
recognized by the kingdom and in the advanced realm of true qi with eight
meridians true qi.
These two people were not on the same level of existence.
One could even say that under normal circumstances, a superior practitioner of
eight meridians true qi would not even have interest in tormenting someone at
three meridians true qi.
This distance between the two was simply too big.
But now, the one who had issued the challenge was the one in
the initial realm of true qi!
“This Jiang Chen, was he caned into idiocy?”
“Challenging an advanced realm of true qi. This Jiang Chen
is impatient for his own death!”
Even Jiang Feng, the duke of Jiang Han who had always
allowed Jiang Chen to do as he wished, called out. “Chen’er, you…”
Jiang Chen raised his arm slightly with an air of ease, a
faint sense of persuasiveness about him. This stopped Jiang Feng’s words in
their tracks.
Princess Gouyu’s beautiful body shook slightly. In that
moment, she had seen a type of confident demeanor that called for others to
blindly follow!
“Has this kid truly gained divine patronage?” Princess Gouyu
almost couldn’t prevent her thoughts from traveling down this path.
Bai Zhanyun laughed uproariously. “Alright, Jiang Chen, I’ve
always disliked you. But I have to admit, you’re a man with balls.”
His footsteps moved slightly when he finished, and eight
currents of true qi wound around his body. They circulated speedily, seeming to
evaporate off his body like a divine purple halo.
“Eastern Amethyst Qi! He is truly a superior with eight
meridians true qi, a genius!”
Jiang Chen stood stock still, his eyes squinted into a fine
line, as if he was a meditating old monk.
“Empty posturing! It’s about time to end this!” Bai Zhanyun
roared lowly as he lifted both feet off the ground. The purple qi circulating
around his body turned into two currents of air as the divine purple halo
seemed to materialize as two wings on his back, shooting him into the air.
Circulating purple qi, employing true qi. Fire and lightning
seemed to wind around the tip of Bai Zhanyun’s finger, as a vague hint of
purple qi formed within them, giving others a surprising sense of oppression.
“Sword from the West!”
Bai Zhanyun concentrated his qi into a blinding light.
Woosh! Woosh! Woosh!
The strong qi almost seemed to ignore the laws of space, as
it formed bizarrely shaped currents shooting towards Jiang Chen.
“Volant Fire Meteors!”
Blinding purple qi flew according to Bai Zhanyun’s motions.
Qi covered the stage in the blink of an eye like a shower of meteors, locking
onto the space within a radius of 100 meters and fully covering the entire
battlefield.
“Too slow!”
Jiang Chen started to move his feet as Bai Zhanyun started
activate his techniques. A few traces of mockery could be found on his lips.
“Watch my poke as it stabs your right arm!”
Woosh!
Bai Zhanyun discerned the direction of the attack from the
sound of the wind, but the piercing sound had already shot to his right arm
when he heard Jiang Chen’s voice.
“Stabbing your left knee!”
Another point that was synchronized with the sound of the
voice. Bai Zhanyun did not even have time to react before a numbing paralysis
engulfed his left knee. It was obvious that he had been hit.
“Damnit!” Bai Zhanyun could not figure out why he was unable
to dodge the hit when he could hear his opponent’s voice, and could anticipate
what direction the point was coming from.
And, his opponent’s force was so gentle, almost weak!
“Third rib on the left!”
“Right shoulder!”
“Left ankle!”
It was as if Jiang Chen was smoothly reciting a book. His
poke reached Bai Zhanyun whenever he named a body part. Each poke was
unearthly, ethereal, and completely untraceable.
Bai Zhanyun scrambled around in panic whenever Jiang Chen
announced his next move, but he could never successfully dodge a single hit.
How maddening! Bai Zhanyun almost wanted to spit blood in
his frustration.
In terms of force, he felt that he was more than ten times
his opponent’s superior. In terms of body, he far outclassed the other. Even
Princess Gouyu had highly praised his level of training.
But, he had a feeling of being constantly countered, an
inability to utilize his strength; and could only passively take the hits when
faced with someone from the initial realm of true qi.
It was as if the other anticipated his every move and was
able to stay one step ahead of him despite not moving that quickly.
Bai Zhanyun became even more frustrated as he fought, but
had to admit at the same time that if the other used just a bit more force, he
would have probably been thumped into the ground many times over already.
Jiang Chen suddenly yelled, “Pause” in the middle of the
fight, and dashingly retreated backwards to the side. He circulated his qi and
poked a stone lock next to him.
The stone lock broke upon impact. It had been completely
perforated.
“Bai Zhanyun, what would have happened if I used this level
of force in my pokes just now?”
Bai Zhanyun was dumbfounded. He had felt frustrated beyond
belief just now on the stage because he had been unable to fully deploy his
strength.
But now, he felt a cold draft on his back as cold sweat
poured out. After all that fighting, it wasn’t that his opponent lacked true
qi, but that he had not used his full strength, and had pulled his punches.
Otherwise, he probably would have been flat on the ground
after the first poke!
The onlookers watching the fight immediately deduced some of
that conclusion, and complicated looks crept into their gazes as they looked at
Jiang Chen.
Chapter 25: Legendary Realm of Training
“Hahaha, brother Jiang, who would’ve thought your son would
be so accomplished! You’ve kept him a secret from the entire Eastern Kingdom!”
“Indeed, indeed! Brother Jiang, I think you father and son
must have purposely hid your true strength, and wanted to vault to fame in the
Hidden Dragon Trials!”
“This must be it. Even the duke of White Tiger’s genius heir
has suffered such an ignoble defeat at Jiang Chen’s hands. How could such an
enigma be unable to pass even the three foundational exams?”
“Duke of Jiang Han, congratulations, congratulations. Who
would’ve thought that the entire kingdom would’ve been kept in the dark by you
two. You must be punished, heh!”
Jiang Feng was also flabbergasted in that moment. He
wouldn’t have been surprised at all if Jiang Chen had been defeated within a
few hits.
He wouldn’t have even been surprised if Jiang Chen
immediately conceded.
But, this fight’s outcome surprised him beyond his
capability to be shocked.
Hiding his true strength? A wolf in sheep’s clothing? Jiang
Feng didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. If this was the case, then his brat’s
acting skills were truly unparalleled. Even his old man had been kept in the
dark.
Even in his dreams, Jiang Feng had never dreamed of such a
situation!
This was the perfection depiction of one man’s joy being
another man’s sorrow.
The dukes who were at odds with the duke of Jiang Han - some
who even had a feud against him - now had gravely serious faces after wanting
to see the duke of Jiang Han become a laughing stock.
They too had realized that they had been taken for a ride by
the Jiang father and son duo.
Even the duke of Soaring Dragon, Long Zhaofeng, watched
Jiang Chen with a few more traces of wariness in his gaze. It seemed that they
had always underestimated the schemes of the Jiang family!
As for Long Juxue, she disliked Jiang Chen even more now. The
words that Jiang Chen had spoken to Bai Zhanyun just now appeared to mock the
latter on the surface, but in reality had just knocked him on the head and
actually jeered at her, Long Juxue!
“What use is it if a pathetic and poor dukedom schemes a
little? Small schemes and little tricks are all as real as floating clouds in
front of absolute power.” Long Juxue was still contemptuous of Jiang Chen. With
her azure phoenix constitution, she was sure to soar high once she entered the
Purple Sun Sect.
So what if these commoners inherited their dukedoms. They
were still mere ants!
Whether it was Jiang Chen or Bai Zhanyun, they were all ants
in Long Juxue’s eyes.
However, even if they were ants, she still wished to see
them frolic in front of her, creating some entertainment for her and allowing
her to enjoy the spotlight of the stars dancing in attendance on the moon.
But this Jiang Chen, this damnable ant, kept messing up her
plans!
The only one completely devoid of any reaction was Princess
Gouyu, because her entire being was in a reverie. She was still caught up in
the mentality of the fight that had occurred, even up to now.
Jiang Chen’s magical poke - that undefinable mental
landscape - was like a person up and about at night who had lured away Princess
Gouyu’s consciousness and brought her to that wondrous mental state.
She repeatedly pictured the fight scene, but no matter how
she simulated it, with her knowledge of martial dao and her study of Eastern
King Point, she still couldn’t fully reconstruct the previous fight!
That was to say, Princess Gouyu couldn’t mimic Jiang Chen’s
actions and win so easily, so handily, even in a theoretical fight!
The key wasn’t in winning or losing, but that Princess Gouyu
was wholly unable to match the mental state, the level of Jiang Chen’s Eastern
King Point.
Princess Gouyu continued to simulate the fight, and finally
discovered, tragically. that it was impossible to even picture that martial dao
realm with her level of strength, not to mention actually training to that
level.
This meant that even after Jiang Chen’s demonstration, she
was unable to replicate his actions even if she were given the chance to.
This realm… a phrase floated into Princess Gouyu’s mind. A
certain kind of realm…
It was at this moment that Du Ruhai used a pompous, self
righteous tone and hectored, “Jiang Chen, this is a sparring match in front of
Princess Gouyu. It’s already been decided that combatants shall use the Eastern
Amethyst Qi method and it’s accompanying martial arts techniques. How dare you use
other techniques; do you still possess any integrity? Do you still want any
dignity as a member of the nobility?”
Jiang Chen flicked a careless glance at him, lacking the
desire to even insult such a witless person. It would be an insult to himself
if he wasted even spittle on those who kissed up to those in power.
Upon seeing Jiang Chen’s arrogant attitude and silent
response, Du Ruhai thought Jiang Chen was afraid of him. His attitude became
even more haughty. “Jiang Chen, let me tell you something. This is an affront
and disrespect to royal dignity. I will most definitely report this matter to
His Majesty…”
“Main Organizer Du, please say no more.” Bai Zhanyun’s face
was ghastly white, but he still chuckled bitterly. “He used the Eastern King
Point. I lost, and fully admit my defeat.”
Du Ruhai thought that Bai Zhanyun was searching for a way
out that saved some face. He comforted, “Bai Zhanyun, don’t feel dejected. This
Jiang Chen has employed some kind of sinister trick. Think about it, this person
couldn’t even pass the three foundational exams. How could he use the Eastern
King Point to defeat you? According to me…”
“Du Ruhai, this princess commands you to shut up!”
Princess Gouyu had finally come back to herself and was
immediately faced with Du Ruhai jumping up and down and creating a scene,
accusing Jiang Chen of using a sinister trick.
The revered method used in founding the kingdom had become a
sinister trick in the mouth of this ignorant fool. How could Princess Gouyu not
be enraged?
“Princess, this Jiang Chen…” Du Ruhai even wanted to add
insult to injury and frame Jiang Chen.
“I’ve already said, shut your mouth!” Princess Gouyu’s tone
became even harsher. “As an organizer of the Hidden Dragon Trials, how could
your vision be so shallow to not even recognize the founding martial dao
method! I am seriously considering petitioning my royal brother to revoke your
position as the organizer of the Trials.”
“What? Princess, I’m innocent!” Du Ruhai’s facial expression
changed greatly.
“Leave me!” Princess Gouyu also didn’t know why she had
suddenly become so infuriated with Du Ruhai. Perhaps it was because of Du Ruhai
disturbing her mental contemplation with his ruckus?
At this moment, Eastern Zhiruo had a carefree, innocent face
and asked with a giggle, “Auntie, brother Jiang Chen is very strong. You say
he’s defeated Bai Zhanyun who’s at “Peak Flawless”, what realm is his Eastern
King Point? “Peak of Great Perfection?”
Peak of Great Perfection?
The faces of all the practitioners shifted as these four
words were spoken. Everyone knew that only top notch geniuses were able to
practice any technique to the “Great Perfection” realm. And the “Peak of Great
Perfection” indicated the highest realm possible for a martial arts technique,
and was unsurpassable.
To be able to practice a method to this realm meant one was
a martial dao genius born only once every hundred years.
But, Princess Gouyu’s sexy thin lips were quivering
slightly, and an extremely animated light filled her eyes in this moment, as if
the words “Peak of Great Perfection” were inadequate to describe the mental
state she had been lost in just now.
“Peak of Great Perfection?” Gouyu’s jade lips squirmed
marginally as she breathed out the scent of orchids. She sighed lightly, “I
happened to meet a master when I was sixteen. I learned from the master that an
even higher realm exists above “Peak of Great Perfection” in the ranking of
martial dao practice!”
The crowd gave an outcry upon hearing her words.
Of those present, who wasn’t a martial dao master? There
were several here who were true qi masters who had trained for multiple
decades!
However, they had never heard of a higher realm, one above
“Peak of Great Perfection”.
What else could a martial arts technique do above “Peak of
Great Perfection”? Was it not enough to be at “Great Perfection”? This was
inconceivable.
Princess Gouyu seemed to be deeply moved as she thought of
the wondrous encounter of yesterday, murmuring lowly. “I know, this seems to be
hearsay. But that master told me, the world of martial dao is as the
scintillating galaxy - unending and without borders. And martial dao geniuses
are stars within the galaxy, too many to be counted. Our Eastern Kingdom, and
the surrounding sixteen countries are but a drop in the ocean on this grand
continent!
The true martial dao geniuses of this world are one in a
billion, whether in terms of potential or enlightenment. These geniuses are
able to easily train to “Great Perfection” in a martial arts technique, and the
scariest thing is, they can innovate numerous changes to the foundation of
“Great Perfection”. They can derive many mysteries that did not previously
exist, elevating the technique’s quality, realm, and true meaning!”
Princess Gouyu’s tone was suffused with piety, and
concentrated traces of yearning filled her beautiful eyes.
This is why Princess Gouyu had never limited her mindset to
just one country. What she hungered for was the more expansive world of martial
dao.
She had been filled with longing for the outside world when
she heard that master’s words that year, and was insatiably curious about those
legendary geniuses.
Princess Gouyu had actually had the faint feeling that Jiang
Chen’s mastery of Eastern King Point in his earlier poke had reached the level
of the so-called true martial dao geniuses in the master’s words.
“More realms above ‘Peak of Great Perfection’, what should
we call them?” The martial dao masters present all felt a bit at a loss at the
presentation of a concept beyond their comprehension.
“All realms above ‘Peak of Great Perfection’ are labeled as
the “Legendary Realm”!”
Princess Gouyu didn’t hold back and spoke candidly. “Of
course, to these true geniuses, there’s no point in practicing some of the more
superficial techniques to the “Legendary Realm”. The true geniuses take a few
superior techniques and train those to the “Legendary Realm”, and then create
their own style, adding in their own philosophies and personal mysteries to
elevate these techniques to become their hidden ace card. That, is the hallmark
of a true genius!”
The crowd finally understood after this round of
explanations.
So this was what the “Legendary Realm” was all about.
“Auntie, does this mean that brother Jiang Chen’s Eastern
King Point has already reached the Legendary Realm?” Eastern Zhiruo was eager
to confirm this point.
“I’ve practice the Eastern King Point for thirteen years and
my own ranking is that of “Initial Great Perfection”. I feel that I can
theorize the status of “Peak of Great Perfection” in my mind, but I was unable
to see through Jiang Chen’s Eastern King Point. It was like a dragon revealing
itself, with only the head being visible, and not the tail. I couldn’t even
simulate his actions in my mind. Everyone, please think about this. What level
could his Eastern King Point be if even I was unable to theorize it?”
Princess Gouyu stopped here, but threw a meaningful glance
at Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen however, laughed lazily. “Legendary Realm? Does
such an amazing realm exist? Anyways, I won purely because Bai Zhanyun was too
idiotic. He’d already showed off his Eastern King Point in front of me, and I
merely saw through his mysteries. How could so many bloody deep mystery things
exist?”
Bai Zhanyun was shamefaced. No matter how proud he was, he
couldn’t bring himself to hate Jiang Chen. Putting aside the fact that Jiang
Chen had pulled his punches just now, Bai Zhanyun realized that Jiang Chen had
spoken truthfully when the former had calmed down and reflected.
He had gone to incredible lengths to please Long Juxue, but
when had this woman ever responded sincerely to Bai Zhanyun?
